textproduct: Amarillo

KEY MESSAGES

Issued at 1210 AM CDT Fri Oct 16 2026

- Breezy conditions expected through the night tonight and through most of the day Friday with wind gusts reaching up to 40 mph. - Low temperatures Friday night are forecast to reach or dip below freezing for much of the combined Panhandles.

SHORT TERM

(Today through Saturday night) Issued at 1210 AM CDT Fri Oct 16 2026

The upper level, cutoff low has been ingested by the larger upper level trough and is continuing to move eastward. Winds at the surface are going to continue to be northerly and breezy. The strongest winds have subsided, though there is still potential for a few gusts to reach 40 mph through Friday. The strongest winds are expected to be in the southeastern TX Panhandle.

Dry conditions have returned as precipitation has moved out of the area as the trough moves east and are expected to continue through Saturday. Winds will be calmer on Saturday, however, the northwestern combined Panhandles may be a bit breezier than the rest of the region, with sustained winds reaching up around 20 mph.

Saturday morning temperatures are expected to be below freezing for much of the combined Panhandles and areas expected to reach or dip below freezing are under a freeze watch. Confidence is increasing for the issuance of a freeze warning.

Abdullayev/Meccariello/Vanden Bosch

LONG TERM

(Sunday through Thursday) Issued at 1210 AM CDT Fri Oct 16 2026

Temperatures through the weekend and into next week look to steadily increase as a ridge sets up and dominates the upper level synoptic pattern. A cutoff low will setup over the Southwest US and will work with the ridge to switch our winds from northerly to southwesterly, aiding in the warm up. By midweek, high temperatures are expected to return to the upper 70s and low 80s.

A shortwave trough is continuing to be analyzed by some operational models, bringing a low potential for some spotty showers Tuesday afternoon and night. Confidence is low at this time, but low PoPs have been included for that period to reflect the possibility. Temperatures also look to decrease upon the passing of this shortwave.

Otherwise, the next major weather system being watched is a deep trough that will come off the Pacific Ocean and race eastward. Current initializations of this system show the Panhandles in a favorable location for precipitation. However, due to how far out this is, exact track and depth of the trough is not very well known and will be watched over the next several days.

Abdullayev/Meccariello/Vanden Bosch

AVIATION

(06Z TAFS) Issued at 1210 AM CDT Fri Oct 16 2026

VFR conditions prevail at all TAF sites. Northerly winds will remain breezy until later tomorrow afternoon. 30 KTS of LLWS is expected at KAMA and KGUY for a brief period, and is possible at KDHT around the same times, though confidence is too low to add to TAFs.

AMA WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

TX...Freeze Watch from late tonight through Saturday morning for TXZ001>014-016>018-317.

OK...Freeze Watch from late tonight through Saturday morning for OKZ001>003.